Living the Story

Maybe it's obvious that before you can tell your story you have to live it! I love to talk...or "share information" as a former boss put it. Probably most of what I talk about is other people's stories. Hmmm...is that called gossiping? I prefer to think of it as sharing stories.

For a private person, telling your own story is a challenge. I'm always fascinated with what makes people tick. What motivates them? What are their fears, and dreams and challenges? It's probably safer to think about other people's stuff. Looking at one's own stuff can be, well, scary.

So, here I was, about to add a big ol' chapter to my life when I thought about bringing horses into it. Never being one to leap before I look, I had to think about this. I had to project into the future all possible outcomes and contingencies. I had to attempt to defeat this idea before it defeated me. I knew it was big for me and I had to really, really think about it.

But those ideas about horses just wouldn't leave me alone.

Now, I only planned on trying to find a way to be around horses. I had absolutely no notion of possessing one. I knew they are big. They are dangerous. They require a commitment. They require a lifestyle change. THEY ARE EXPENSIVE. I'd done some of my homework. I knew about boarding costs versus having one at your own place. I knew about farriers and vet bills and teeth floating and equipment (tack) and lessons and good golly who knows what else.

So, my little safe-minded analytical brain turned to the problem of how I could sort of hang out with them without it just being too much. Maybe I wouldn't even like it! Maybe I'd be too nervous, too scared, too fat, too out of shape, too you-name-it.

I happened to see a story in the newspaper about people doing massages on horses. BOING!!! That was it. That's what I wanted to do. Forget that I knew nothing about massage or horses or how the two went together. I thought maybe this was a way to be around them and pay them back a little bit for all they have done, and do, for us humans. Seems the least I could do!

Remember, now -- I am not a person who leaps before she looks. And she looks a loooong time, usually, before she leaps! How can I do this?

Well, first I better find out if I even want to be around them. I decided to take riding lessons.